The Stone Goddess

I'm sure this is the best book written by Mingfong Ho yet. Some of her earlier novels like The Clay Marble are a bit creaky but this novel doesn't have a false note in it! The story involves a girl who is caught up in the Khmer Rouge evacuation of Cambodia and is sent to work in a camp in the rural areas. Some members of her family die while others survive. Mingfong Ho worked in the refugee camps in Thailand for Cambodians and speaks Thai as well as Chinese and English. She witnessed the lives of the Khmer people in refugee camps and heard their stories. This all comes alive in the book and makes the story much more realistic than some other novels about the Khmer Rouge time. She has also grown as a writer and communicate her story in a clear, descriptive manner. There is no doubt that she is now a terrific children's novelist.

I thought this was autobiographical because it seemend so real. The turmoil of Cambodia and the family's escape from their were so terrifying.

We bought Stone Goddess in preparation for a trip to Cambodia with our children. The older ones (10 and 12) read this book along with two others that tell similar stories (Little Brother, and Chantrea Conway's Journey to America). Stone Goddess was BY FAR the best-written of the three - Ho's prose is spare but emotionally rich, and her descriptions certainly rang true with what we saw in Cambodia. We visited Angkor, and the scenes in the book that were set there helped prepare us for what we would be seeing. The plotline was also the most believable of the three books, and I found the latter section of the book, when Nakri has come to America and is trying to adjust, very poignant and true to the 20th century immigrant experience. I would highly recommend this book for tweens and up - it's on the short side, but even adults will find it moving. If you were planning a trip to Cambodia with kids, I would say it's a must-read.

I enjoyed the Stone Goddess, by Mingfong Ho. This book is great for pre-teens and teens who are interested in first person fiction. It is a book based on the late 60's and the ending of the Vietnam War. It shows the struggle and trauma that one girl named Narki goes through to become free as she once was, before the war. Even though the book is fiction, it has very true messages for growing up and not taking freedom for granted. Narki, is a young Cambodian girl, her sister Teeda, and her brother Boran, are separated from their family during the Vietnam War. They all struggle to survive in labor camps where they are not treated with any kindness. They are made to work in rice fields. They are withdrawn from their Buddhists beliefs and they are forced to become part of the Angkor, which is the belief of the people who captured them. It shows how strong they were to survive for four years in the labor camps. It shows how being away from your family doesn't keep you from believing that one day you will re-joined with them. All in all, The Stone Goddess is an enjoyable book. It unlocks doors that show the adventure of surviving in an unfamiliar place. It shows, even if your dreams are crushed, you just need to believe and everything seems possible as it once did before. This book represents adventure, dreams, trauma, and struggle. And it shows that all of it makes you a stronger person.

As a middle school teacher, I found this book wonderful. Although it deals with issues some younger students may struggle with, I plan to use it in my 8th grade classroom. The story is told from first person, the voice of a 12 year old Cambodian girl. It takes place in the 60's and therefore deals with Vietnam war and that time frame. The main character experiences some severe traumas, but makes it through them all stronger and more mature. A wonderful book for young adolescents and a quick read for adults!